This invention relates to earth moving and handling apparatus and, more particularly, to a box-like receptacle device functional as a scraper element to be dragged behind a suitable prime mover and as a front mountable bucket element having a ram or push utility.
The prior art is replete with variations of earth moving machinery and apparatus for leveling earth, for scraping earth, for spreading earth, for shoveling earth, and such devices are self-propelled as well as used in trailered combination with a tractor or bulldozer prime mover. It is well known that it is advantageous to provide a means of expelling the earth from the bowels of such earth containers in contrast to elevating or dumping over the bulk of the container body as is employed with gravity dumping techniques. Forced ejection of the earth material enhances the operability and marketability of this type apparatus.
Previously disclosed ejector mechanisms appear to offer a variety of ejector means the most efficient of which is the movable blade or endgate within the confines of the receptacle body which blade forces the loaded earth material to be pushed from the interior of the receptacle. An earth handling apparatus of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,832, issued June 20, 1961. This prior art scraper and other prior art scrapers are thought to utilize unnecessarily cumbersome and ineffective means for guiding the movements of the ejector blades. For example, the ejector blades have been provided with rollers or slides mounted in tracks which are easily clogged and jammed with debris and earth material or which become a problem to remain properly lubricated, or which have a complicated array of guide linkage arms interconnected by a plurality of pivotal axis which require lubrication and constitute a maintenance problem. The guide means of the present invention are improved so as to overcome the difficulties as discussed and are of a simple, relatively maintenance free design not known to be disclosed in the prior art. Further, the guide means of the present invention permit the ejector blade mechanism to move between a forward extended position of dumping and a rearward retracted position of non-interference with loading without the disadvantages of tilting, jamming against side or bottom container walls, breaking linkage pins connecting multiple linkage arms, fouling or clogging guide tracks or experiencing breakdowns due to improper lubrication of movable parts.